


Insecurities - Prime Minister Choi

by faustianpixie



Series: Daily Lives of Regular Palace Residents 1- Soonhoon [5]
Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Angst, Consort Kwon Soonyoung, Courtier Jeonghan, Crown Prince Lee Chan, High Warden Joshua, King Lee Jihoon, M/M, Marriage, Prime Minister Seungcheol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-17
Updated: 2020-07-17
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:21:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25322317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/faustianpixie/pseuds/faustianpixie
Summary: “Joshua wouldn’t tell me much. But it doesn’t matter. He seems a little daft. I don’t understand his logic either. He is in fact attached to the Crown Prince. The idea that a child would help him get closer to his husband is...”Seungcheol trailed off shaking his headAh...there it wasJihoon raised an eyebrow. He filed the information that Chan was seeing the consort for later.“Jeonghan wants children but you don’t do you?”CONTEXT FOR NEW READERS (5/53 - Present):The Royal Consort Kwon, Head of the Granary was summoned to the court and met the King Lee Jihoon for the first time. Jihoon couldn't help but be intrigued as well as suspicious of a man who seemed a new face to him and yet had stayed in the palace for two years before this incident. The King noticed his Prime Minister Choi was more involved than he said
Relationships: Choi Seungcheol | S.Coups & Lee Jihoon | Woozi, Choi Seungcheol | S.Coups/Yoon Jeonghan, Kwon Soonyoung | Hoshi/Lee Jihoon | Woozi
Series: Daily Lives of Regular Palace Residents 1- Soonhoon [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1828549
Comments: 11
Kudos: 48





	Insecurities - Prime Minister Choi

**Author's Note:**

> HEYYY!  
> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE LOVE!!!!  
> I get so hyped for this story and to see others like it makes me feel happier. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart! Thanks for participation in the poll and that's why today there is a new poll!  
> 

“It’s time to retire your majesty.”

_ Seungcheol..you are my savior...already the small library is suffocating and the vitriol in the room worse. _

Jihoon quickly dismissed the persistent minister. He was spewing nonsense at Seungcheol anyway. About his decision to retain the assassin Hoshi that had exclusively served the crown for the past year. Jihoon didn’t think much of it. Seungcheol had the contact and Jihoon was very confident of his loyalty. Nevertheless he would grill him in court tomorrow. Today had been a rather interesting day after all. With the intriguing Consort Kwon being summoned before court, it was all the excitement Jihoon could take for a day.

He stood up and the courtesans left. And surprisingly, so did Jeonghan. He usually stayed back to talk to Jihoon as well as his husband. But the Courtier (and eyes and ears of the capital) had avoided eye contact and turned away. His gait had a sense of urgency...as if he had to get somewhere.

Jihoon turned to Seungcheol.

The Prime Minister had a conflicting expression on his face. He was clearly debating on whether to follow his husband or stay with his King.

“Don’t you want to leave too?”

“No My King.”

Jihoon frowned. It wasn’t like Seungcheol to address him so formally when they were alone.

“Do you have something to say to me?”

“...Yes My King.”

Jihoon huffed. “Get on with it!”

Seungcheol sighed. The proud shoulders of the most intelligent person he knew hunched like a defeated child. The only time Jihoon had seen this before was when Jeonghan had initially rejected him. So...

“Is it related to Jeonghan?”

Judging by the look on Seungcheol’s face, he had hit the nail on the head. But how was it a formal issue?

“I-I would like a few days off.”

Jihoon paused. Why was Seungcheol stuttering for a few days off?

“Does Jeonghan know?”

“No...but we have recently...been having some troubles...”

Jihoon sighed. Jeonghan and Seungcheol always treated him like he was incapable of handling their problems as well. Jeonghan would often go to Joshua but Seungcheol...he was often alone. He would keep it to himself and implode. He had done that once and lashed out at Jeonghan. Jeonghan, the collected man he was, had handled it spectacularly. (and had hit him later for hiding things as well)

But for the problem to reach Jihoon it had to be very bad indeed.

“What trouble hyung?”

Seungcheol sighed again. It was getting very telling by now.

“He-He and I disagreed. On some things...I know I was wrong...but I didn’t-”

“You didn’t back down?”

Seungcheol shook his head. He planted his face in his hands.

“Oh why in Lee Hyeonjin did I do that!”

“Don’t bring my father’s name into this. And why did you do that?”

“Because I was angry!

“That wouldn’t matter with Jeonghan. The man has been with you for long and loved you for longer.”

Seungcheol was quiet. He glared at the floor. As if Jihoon was berating him. But he didn’t want to tell him still.

“You don’t want to tell me what happened but you want my help?”

Seungcheol would now burn holes into the floor with that stare.

Jihoon had to switch tactics then.

“Okay. I have meaning to ask. You know Royal Consort Kwon better than you let out at court.”

Seungcheol's head whipped up in surprise.

_ Aha _

“So you do. And so does Jeonghan.”

“Y-Yes. I do.”

Jihoon hummed. He knew Seungcheol from when he could know people. He had been his caring hyung for the eternity he knew him for. And this familiarity bred an understanding outmatched only by Jeonghan. If he didn’t speak about him, make him speak about someone else.

“Tell me about him.”

Seungcheol let out a breath in false safety.

“He is the cousin to the King of the West. Name, Kwon Soonyoung”

_ Soon-young...hmmmm _

“And why is he in my harem? What does he want?”

“He volunteered...and as to what he wants...I don’t know...”

“You don’t know?” Jihoon couldn’t believe that for a moment

“No...I asked Joshua as well...the only thing remotely suspicious is exiting the palace a few specific days of the month. Much less than some others in the harem”

Jihoon scoffed. Seungcheol knew the taste of a fruit before it was plucked from the tree. He would have to know. He had prepared Jihoon for everything that would entail months before anyone knew the previous King was gravely ill. Despite the mounting pressure on him to be King himself. 

“You know I don’t believe you right?” 

“I know only so much!” Seungcheol hissed.

Jihon started. Never had Seungcheol hissed at him. And now he was keeping secrets. He would have to investigate. 

_ Let us see if we can meet him _

“So he has been here for two years?”

“Yes.” Seungcheol hesitated a little. “H-he has made a few enemies, but all think of him as a rather arbitrary piece. At least according to Joshua.”

“And you haven’t investigated this? Tell me Seungcheol-hyung, why would someone join the harem when they are disadvantaged to earn my favor? The women there only want to bear my child for the power it proffers. But he cannot give me a child. Why would he join?”

Seungcheol shrugged. “Joshua wouldn’t tell me much. But it doesn’t matter. He seems a little daft. I don’t understand his logic either. He is in fact attached to the Crown Prince. The idea that a child would help him get closer to his husband is...”

Seungcheol trailed off shaking his head

_ Ah...there it was _

Jihoon raised an eyebrow. He filed the information that Chan was seeing the consort for later.

“Jeonghan wants children but you don’t do you?”

Seungcheol nodded, still unaware of his slip. Catching himself he shot an accusing stare at Jihoon.

“You accused him of not trusting their relationship didn’t you?”

The glare intensified. Seungcheol wouldn’t want to slip again.

“I’m surprised Jeonghan didn’t slap you.”

Seungcheol’s eyes all of a sudden thought the shelf on the right, filled with the right etiquette for the hunting of Wild Boar from the West, was the most interesting thing in the room.

“He did didn’t he! Hah! Seungcheol-hyung is really daft. Like Jeonghan can get any closer to you. He held your hand despite everything you guys went through. Have up his pride for you. Heaven knows how he does it.”

Seungcheol blushed. Jihoon stood up and turned to the shelves and perused a book - ‘The Art of Arbitration’

“So that’s why he’s been avoiding you.”

_ Was this how I would have to compromise if I fell in love? Troublesome. I wouldn’t give up my ideals for anybody. _

Stuck in thoughts, he missed Seungcheol’s shake of the head in the negative.

“It seems marriage really is a compromise.”

“No Jihoon-ah.”

Jihoon started and turned to the seated Seungcheol, his eyes were brimming with affection. As if looking at a silly child.

“Compromise means you give up something. And you are defeated. A last resort. One inferior. Another Superior. But Marriage is an agreement. We both are equals and choose to be with each other. And you both will gain much much more.”

Jihoon shrugged. He supposed he wouldn’t understand any time soon.

“I suppose I can do without my Prime Minister for a few days...”

~~~~~~~~From the Private Account of 10th Prime Minister, Choi Seungcheol, S.Coups~~~~~~~~~

**Author's Note:**

> THANK YOU MAKING IT SO FARRRRR!!!!  
> I am so so thankful to you all!!! The jeongcheol relationship is pretty important considering their jobs and I do hope you realise I introduced some new~Personally I liked the other one but no worries! its posted tomorrow. I will keep the polls open tomorrow and post the new choices day after tomorrwo as well uwu  
> NO MPREG trust me. TRUST. ME. They just want surrogacy or want to adopt.  
> I will be uploading the NEXT as HOSHI from the past timeline!!!  
>   
> QUESTION FOR THE COMMENTS: HIGHLIGHTED - JIHOON, JEONGHAN OR SEUNGCHEOL?  
>   
> PLEASE COMMENT YOUR ANSWER BELOW  
>   
> PLEASE COMMENT IN GENERAL T_T  
> THANK YOUUUU  
> FAUSTIAN PIXIE  
> @Myalurks This is my public twitter ID! Do interact uwu


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